BOM and Faith 1 Nephi 13-14

Moving into Chapter 13, Nephi’s vision continues.

• ·        He saw many nations and kingdoms (1 Nephi 13:2).
•        o   Among these nations and kingdoms, he saw a great church (1 Nephi 13:4).
• ·        The angel told him it was most abominable above all other churches (1 Nephi 13:5).
• ·        He saw the church torture, bind, and kill the saints of God (1 Nephi 13:5).
• ·        He saw the devil founded that church (1 Nephi 13:6).
• ·        He saw gold, silver, silks, all manner of precious clothing, and many harlots (1 Nephi 13:7-8).
• ·        He learned the church destroyed the saints and brought them into captivity for the praise of the world (1 Nephi 13:8-9).
• ·        He saw many come across the waters to the promised land (1 Nephi 11:12-13).
• ·        He saw the Spirit of God was with other Gentiles who left captivity behind to come to the promised land (1 Nephi 12:13).
• ·        He saw many come and the wrath of God was upon the Lamanites and they were scattered before the Gentiles (1 Nephi 13:13-14).
• ·        He saw the Gentiles humble themselves before the Lord and prosper in the promised land (1 Nephi 13:15-16).
• ·        He saw a book “carried forth among them” (1 Nephi 13:20).
• ·        He was asked if he knew the meaning of the book (1 Nephi 13:21).
• ·        He said he did not (1 Nephi 13:22).
• ·        He was told the book “proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew” (1 Nephi 13:23).

o   It is a record which “which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles” (1 Nephi 13:23).

§  The book contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord and bears “record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God” (1 Nephi 13:24).

• ·        He saw after the book went forth, the great and abominable church took away many plain and precious parts as well as many covenants of the Lord (1 Nephi 13:25).
• ·        As the Gentiles went forth, the Lord would not allow them to destroy the Lamanites (1 Nephi 13:31).
• ·        He saw the Lord will not allow the Gentiles to “remain in that awful state of blindness” having lost plain and precious things (1 Nephi 13:32).
• ·        He saw the Lord will bring forth much of the plain and precious parts of the gospel which had been withheld by the great and abominable church (1 Nephi 13:34).
• ·        He learned the Lord would show himself to his seed (1 Nephi 13:35).

o   They will write many plain and precious things which will be hid up and come from the Gentiles by the gift and power of the Lamb (1 Nephi 13:35).

o   “And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation” (1 Nephi 13:36).

• ·        The book of the Lamb of God will come forth from the Gentiles to the Lamanites (1 Nephi 13:38).
• ·        Other books will come forth to convince the Gentiles, Lamanites, and Jews that the records of the prophets and the twelve apostles are true (1 Nephi 13:39).

o   These records will establish the truth of the first and will reveal plain and precious things which were lost (1 Nephi 13:40).

o   They will “make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40).

Speaking of the Gentiles, the angel said should they “harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded” (1 Nephi 14:2).

It will not be well for the Gentiles who harden their hearts against the Lamb of God.

The day will come when He will work a great and marvelous work among them. The work will be everlasting either to convincing them unto peace and life eternal or the deliverance of them to the captivity of the devil (1 Nephi 14:7).

The angel showed Nephi the great and abominable church, telling him there are but two churches – the church of the Lamb of God and the church of the devil. Those who did not belong to the church of the Lamb belong to the church of the devil.

The church of the devil gathered together to fight against the Lamb of God. The power of the Lamb descended upon his covenant people who were scattered upon the face of the Earth. His people were armed with righteousness and the power of God.

The wrath of God was poured out on the devil’s church. There were wars and rumors of war throughout the nations of the Earth.

When God’s wrath is poured out on the devil’s church, He will prepare a way for the fulfilling of His covenants with the house of Israel.

The angel showed him John, the revelator. Nephi was commanded he should not write the rest of what he saw. It was ordained the he should write the remainder of the vision Nephi saw.

Nephi saw great and wonderful things in his vision. Much of what he saw was intended for us in our day.

All this came about because Nephi desired to see the things in his father’s visions. It was only through his faith he was able to see these things.